


Leather Perspective

by window3



Category: leather - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:56:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21938590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/window3/pseuds/window3
Summary: When new leather arrives...





	Leather Perspective

It was quite a few months ago, but I remember. I was beginning to regret my decisions of a few weeks before that–the decisions on what instructions to send to the E-bay leather crafter.

I had just opened my highly anticipated package–you know–the one you’d been hoping for days would arrive soon, since you had imagined how it was going to fit, how good it would feel, how stunning you would look. And now it was in front of me. And then covering my arms and wrapping around my torso. But the stiffness of the leather and the tightness of the fit were making me wonder if those instructions were wrong.

I had prowled the web for some time, comparing listings, considering a variety of features, pondering colour choices when there were options, and measuring various parts of my body to supply for a custom fit–then measuring them again. Having already had some experience with lambskin products, and seeing that the surface on lambskin was somewhat fragile, especially on edges and seams where rubbing scuffed the finish away, I had chosen cowhide. It seemed to have a more durable surface, and would therefore look good for longer. And a leather garment should last a long time, right?

The supplier I chose didn’t offer colour choices, so it was going to be black with a fairly common pebble-grain texture. I already had several short-sleeved shirts, so this would be one with full sleeves. I’m not into military/police style cliches, so I didn’t want shoulder straps, and the chest pockets are next to useless, so they were deleted. But mostly it was the fit that was concerning as I spent the first minutes with my new shirt. Sure, I had ordered it on the snug side, because leather “stretches”, or so I had come to believe. I carry a bit too much weight, so the slimmer the fit, the better it would hide my excess. And slim arms would generate that situation of stretching and breaking in the garment so that it would feel and fit better in the end. But the arms were uncomfortable to bend, and the cuffs bit into the edges of my hands where my wrist widened to form the hand because the leather was so stiff. And buttoning the collar caused the leather to press on my throat, especially my adams apple. I had to wonder how long it would take for this shirt to feel good, and what I would have to persevere with for that to occur. 

Well, after wearing the shirt a couple of times around the house, I decided that the cuffs really were too tight when the snaps were done up. Cuffs are finished inside and out, so there’s quite a bit of leather and very little expansion pressure when wearing, so I applied a bit of water to the leather and snapped the cuffs over a plastic water bottle that was just slightly too big. Almost overnight, I had eased the fit just enough to feel better. So more wearing, sometimes getting a little warm to provide a bit of perspiration moisture, and things got a bit better. And wearing the shirt to bed offered more hours for the leather to conform to my shape. I know what it’s like to wear latex, and how, even if you don’t exert yourself, skin moisture accumulates. That can turn out to be an advantage when breaking in leather because the moisture is there, but with just the right amount of breathing, the leather can utilize it without accumulating an uncomfortable amount. 

All that was months ago, and even though the collar is still too tight to button up without feeling like I’m being choked, the shirt is becoming “me”. (Maybe I’ll have to try stretching the collar like I did with the cuffs). When I slip it on, the arms bend with wrinkles in just the right places, and the cuffs wrap nicely around my wrists even without being snapped. The smooth inside face of the collar nudges my chin and neck with a pleasant caress. There’s even a satisfaction when the stiffness of the cowhide presses into the sides of my abdomen when I’m sitting. I’m convinced that the cowhide will be more durable and continue to get more comfortable as long as I don’t gain any weight–which means that this shirt (and some others that I have) are providing an incentive to not indulge my taste buds too much. 

And maybe some day I’ll get to feel someone else’s hands wrapping around my torso or sliding up my arm and across my chest, helping to convince me that those decisions months ago were right after all.


End file.
